Caleb Plant expects a finish vs. Caleb Truax: 'My goal is to stop him'
IBF middleweight champion Caleb Plant doesn't want to spoil any of his future plans, like possibly facing Canelo Alvarez, and believes he'll get the job done on Jan. 30 against former champion Caleb Truax.
Video Transcript
KEVIN IOLE: Hey, folks. I am Kevin Iole. Welcome to Yahoo Sports. And on January 30, there is going to be another super middleweight championship fight. This one's going to be in Los Angeles. You will be able to see that on Fox. And it's the battle of the Calebs. And I got one of the Calebs here, the champ-- IBF Champion Caleb Plant. He's going to be fighting Caleb Truax, the former champ. Caleb, how's it going, pal?
CALEB PLANT: Going well. Going well. Camp's been going good. So just ready for the 30th.
KEVIN IOLE: Let's ask you the question that probably everybody [INAUDIBLE]. What do you get asked more, about Caleb Truax or Canelo Álvarez at this point in your life?
CALEB PLANT: As of now, I'm getting more questions about Canelo. But my focus is on Truax, so--
KEVIN IOLE: Yes. And I guess that's the question. Sometimes when you have a fight out there that could be so lucrative and so significant in the division, it's hard not to concentrate on that. You're a young guy still, you know, only in your third title defense in this particular fight. How do you avoid, you know, thinking of what is to come, and you know, Caleb beat James DeGale, an Olympic gold medalist, to win the title. You know he's a good, talented guy. How do you get that focus on him and put all the other stuff aside?
CALEB PLANT: Well, I think it's just about keeping my eyes on the prize. And that comes in steps. So for me to get where I really want, I have to take it one step at a time. And I have to focus on the plate of food that's in front of me and not, you know, be looking down the road or, you know, at everyone else's plate.
And I think boxing has been-- boxing's been around for a while, and there's been a lot of great examples of what to do and what not to do. And you can look at those examples and, you know, learn through other people's mistakes as opposed to having to go through it the hard way.
So there's been a lot of examples of other fighters who didn't focus on the fight in front of them, and, you know, bad things happen. So that's really all I need to know for me to make sure that I'm focused on January 30 and Caleb Truax, because otherwise, it could, you know, spoil future plans.
KEVIN IOLE: As I look at your record, you know, you won the title from [INAUDIBLE]. I think Truax might-- in my opinion-- might be the best guy you ever fought. And I wonder if you agree with that. I mean, do you think, in terms of being a complete fighter and the most dangerous fighter, he's the best you've faced so far?
CALEB PLANT: I'm not sure, you know? I know in boxing, styles make fights. And you know, I'll be able to give you a better answer to that after the 30th. But as far as José Uzcátegui, I felt like he may-- you know, he may have been the toughest fight, you know?
There were a lot of people who didn't want to fight him. He had a lot of knockouts, basically stopped Andre Dirrell twice. And some other people, I feel like, were avoiding him. A lot of other people and a lot of other boxing experts were, you know, calling him a dangerous guy and the boogeyman and this and that. So I'm not sure. I know that Truax-- he's upset some people. He's a former world champion. He's a rough and rugged guy. And I know that he's on a mission. But I'm on a mission as well, so--
KEVIN IOLE: Yeah, it's going to be a fun fight. What do you-- how do you see the fight going? I mean, what do you have to do-- what do you have to establish to win this fight?
CALEB PLANT: I just got to go out there and be myself. And you know, I've set my standards high for this fight. I don't see it going 12 rounds. My goal is to stop him, whether that's him quit or them throw in the towel or the ref step in and do his job. I don't plan on letting this fight go 12 rounds, so--
KEVIN IOLE: Do you feel almost, in a way, that, you know, you're going to be on Fox, you're fighting a former champion that you need a statement like that 'cause you're in a division-- a lot of really good opponents, a lot of really good fighters out there. You know, Canelo, obviously, is there. He just beat Smith, who is a terrific fighter. You know, yourself, David Benavidez. I don't know if Benavidez is going to be fighting in-- at the weight class anymore. But you know, he's been-- he's been there.
So I guess the point being, there's a lot of good guys. Do you think, given the fact that you have this platform, you need to make a statement in it and show the world who you are?
CALEB PLANT: I don't think-- I don't feel obligated to do it because of the platform I'm on or because of other fighters. I feel obligated because that's the-- what I expect of myself.
KEVIN IOLE: Mm-hmm.
CALEB PLANT: You know, I feel like each time, since I won the world title, you con-- you're continuously seeing a better and better Caleb Plant each time I step out-- new dimensions of my game and adding to dimensions that I already have. And that's just a goal for myself, to go out there and to put on a dominant performance for no one other than myself.
KEVIN IOLE: Mm-hmm.
CALEB PLANT: So-- and for my team. You know, we put a lot of hard work in this camp, and we put a lot of work-- a lot of hard work in for a long time. And so I just-- I expect that of myself, not because of the platform or what other people expect from me. So--
KEVIN IOLE: Caleb, do you think the next level for you is, you know, start adding where you start finishing guys and you got that-- you know, I think everybody who has seen you fight knows you're a really good, complete boxer. You're a smart guy in the ring. You know, do you think that next level is adding the power that goes behind it? And not just-- and not just in finishing guys, but hurting them as the fight goes on and make them, you know, kind of adjust because of what you're able to-- able to do during the course of the fight?
CALEB PLANT: Yeah. You know, when I-- when I first turned pro, you know, I was knocking a lot of guys out. And then for about four or five fights there, I started developing hand issues. And it would seem like, in every fight, I would-- I would hurt my hands.
KEVIN IOLE: Mm.
CALEB PLANT: And you know, in the Thomas Awimbono fight, I hurt my hand bad in the second round. In the Andrew Hernandez fight, I hurt my hand, like, in the third or fourth round of that fight. In the Jamar Freeman fight, I hurt my-- I hurt my hand. And it just kind of seemed, like, to be a continuous thing. And it almost made me change my style from sitting down on my punches to just wanting to touch people and keep sticking to moving in boxing.
And then I fought Porky Medina, and I fought-- I don't-- I don't feel like I really fought to the best of my ability. I was kind of nervous about hurting my hands. And that was the first fight that I didn't hurt my hands. And then going into the Jose fight, I broke my hands in trai-- I broke my hand in training camp, and five weeks from the fight. And you know, since the-- you know, having those hand injuries, I've done a lot of group exercises and hand-strength exercises. And--
KEVIN IOLE: Wow. Going
CALEB PLANT: --going into that Jose fight, I just told myself, like, man, you cannot fight with any reservation, you know? You're going to have to go out there and be the Caleb Plant that you know you can. And you seen what happened in that fight. And since then, my hands have held up. And you see what, you know, happened to Mike Lee. You see what happened to Vincent. And so the power has been there. But of course, you know, we've been added to it over the years. But the power's been there.
The biggest part has just been those hand-- you know, those hand injuries. And those seem to be a thing of the past. And since then, I feel like you guys have seen a lot of knock downs and a lot of, you know, big combinations, a lot of power punches. And that's something that you can look-- you know, be sure to expect, you know, moving forward as well. So--
KEVIN IOLE: I wonder what it's like, you know-- I mean, going into a fight against a guy that's trained two months to fight you has got to be mentally tough enough. You know, not a lot of people are willing to do that. You take that walk up those three steps, and you say something about yourself. You know, you're a courageous guy just to do that, right? But to then be in that ring, and your hands are broken, or your hands are injured, and you know, your-- one of your main tools is gone--
CALEB PLANT: Mm-hmm.
KEVIN IOLE: --what is that like mentally? Like, what do you say to yourself? How do you keep yourself going in the fight and making sure that you don't-- you know, you work so hard to get to a certain point. And now, you know, a fluke could cost you. How do you-- how do you overcome that? What goes through your mind?
CALEB PLANT: Well, it can be disappointing. But you know, there's been plenty of the-- within those four or five fights, you know, there was a couple that-- you know, at least two or three-- where I didn't even tell my corner about it--
KEVIN IOLE: Mm.
CALEB PLANT: --you know? Because we're already in there, there's no timeouts, and there's nothing to be done about it. So me complaining is only going to make it more real.
KEVIN IOLE: Mm-hmm.
CALEB PLANT: So you know, my corner was a bit surprised. They-- you know, they know me well. So for them to not have any clue that they were hurt-- they were quite surprised by that. But you know, you're already in there. There's nothing you can do about it.
And just, like-- you know, people compare boxing a lot to life. There's always going to be variables that are thrown in there that you don't expect, and you just got to be able to adapt and fight through it. So I've had to do that a lot in the ring and out of the ring. And I feel like that's one of my-- one of my best qualities. So--
KEVIN IOLE: You know, obviously, people are familiar with the tragedies you've been through in your life. You know, has that actually made you a better boxer, right? You know, because you've had to endure, in life, you know, unthinkable, you know, tragedies that-- does that-- A, does it kind of fuel an anger in you? And B, does it-- because you've overcome that, does it tell you, I can overcome anything?
CALEB PLANT: Yeah. You know, I feel like there's been a lot of boxers who have gone through a lot. You know, I don't claim to have the worst story, by any means. But there have been certain events that have happened in my life. And even besides those two events, I know people may know of those, but there's a lot of others as well. And--
KEVIN IOLE: Yeah.
CALEB PLANT: --yes, knowing that I can get through those things and come out the other side-- even better. You know, at this point in my life, I feel unstoppable. You know, I don't feel like there's anything out there that can break my spirit or break my will. And there's certainly no man out there that can convince me that I'm scared of him after, you know, some of these things.
So yeah, I feel like those things have helped me become a better fighter. But again, that's just-- those are just a few aspects of boxing. You know, those aren't going to-- those can make you better in a few aspects. But overall, you still got to get in there and, you know, be able to fight. You still got to be able to be smart. But just being able to stay calm and relaxed in high intense situations-- you know, I feel like it has helped with that some. And it's definitely given me motivation, for sure. So--
KEVIN IOLE: I want to ask you, you know, your thoughts on Canelo here for a couple seconds. And there was talk, before he fought Smith, that he was going to fight you. Were those talks-- did they advance anywhere? Can you fill me in on where they went and if they were legit? How they-- how did they fall apart?
CALEB PLANT: Yeah. I mean, there was never a contract sent over where-- you know, before contracts get sent, there have to be a lot of verbal agreements. So before people just start making up a bunch-- you know, bunch of contracts. But there-- you know, there was never a person, there was nothing-- a situation where, you know, I was trying to price myself out or anything like that.
You know, with there being about a five-week notice, that'd be four weeks of training. And my manager, Luis DeCubas-- he just felt like that that may not be the best move for my career. And as a fighter, I want to fight. But at the same time, I agreed. And I appreciated that because, you know, that would have been a big payday for him as well. So for him to not just be looking at the money but for my best interest-- you know, there were also a handful of other fighters who didn't jump on that, either.
So our fight will happen. The Canelo fight will happen. He's saying it'll happen. I'm saying it'll happen. Our team [INAUDIBLE] happen. So you know, have no fear. It'll go down at some point. So right now, I'm really just focused on January 30. Going back to the beginning of our conversation, that's where my focus needs to be at this time. But I will handle business in fashion on the 30th and then have a better understanding and knowing of where the cards fall with that fight. And you know, hopefully we can get that made.
KEVIN IOLE: I don't want to ask you--
CALEB PLANT: And I hope we will. It just de-- you know, we just--
KEVIN IOLE: Yeah.
CALEB PLANT: --got to find our win.
KEVIN IOLE: I don't want to ask you about you fighting Canelo, but I want-- I want your reaction. I was impressed with him against Smith from the standpoint, Caleb, that I thought, you know, he raised his game. And he went in there, you know, with a big disadvantage. When you looked at them at the press conference, it was almost funny looking at the two of them side by side. You know, it was 7 or 8 inches in reach.
And I thought that Canelo really raised his game in that. And for a guy to be considered the best fighter in the world to be able to raise his game was impressive. As a-- as a champion in that weight class, what did you think of his performance?
CALEB PLANT: You know, like you said, for him to get in there and do what he did, it was a good fight. And he looked well. He did well. And not to take away from anything that he did, but at the same time, it also seemed like Canel-- I mean Callum-- wasn't there to win.
You know, just because you're in there doesn't mean that you're there to win. Some people play to win. Some people play to not lose. And at some point, it kind of seemed like he was just trying to not-- that Callum was just trying not to get stopped or knocked out.
And I don't really feel like, in any round, did he really say, I'm going to go out there-- and really, in any part of any round-- and say, I'm about to take control. I'm about to try and change the momentum, even just a little bit, you know? And that could've had a-- you know, the training-camp aspect could've had an effect on that with him not having, you know, an eight-week proper training camp and--
KEVIN IOLE: Right.
CALEB PLANT: --you know, making weight as well. I know that he's-- Callum-- he's got a bigger frame, pretty tall guy. So that's really where I stand on that.
KEVIN IOLE: And finally, are you going to put all your eggs into one basket, or would you fight again? Like, in other words, if Luis said to you, and Al Haymon said to you, hey, let's look at something in July, and then maybe Canelo in-- you know, in September, would that be a possibility? Or do you want to just go right into a fight with Canelo if it's-- if it's available?
CALEB PLANT: You know, I guess I can't say for sure. As of now, it seems like it'd be the-- you know, for me to fight now. And then in September, later in the year, we can get it on. But you know, I have a great team around me with Al and Luis. And we've done great things thus far. I only have 20 fights. I've had [INAUDIBLE] multiple times. I'm defending my title for the third time. So I have a great team around me. So after this fight, I'll sit down with them, and we'll see what we can figure out.
KEVIN IOLE: And before we end this, you know, I would be remiss-- I caught a glimpse of her sneaking around in the background there. You got a star as a wife as well, who does a great job on the [INAUDIBLE] boxing broadcast. And your wife-- Jordan Plant.
And I wonder, what is it like to have somebody with you that, you know, is in the fight business? And is that-- you know, is that a little comforting? You know, she knows what you're going through, and she understands all that. Does that-- does that make it a little better, as a fighter, to have somebody who understands the life that you go through?
CALEB PLANT: Absolutely, it does. And then, you know, also, she was a Division I 100-meter-- 100-meter hurdler, too. So she's been an athlete at a top level, so she knows what it takes. And she knows-- like you said, with her being in boxing so heavily, she knows what it takes to be a champion.
And I think it helps her with her career, too. You know, she's on the front line every day in the gym, whether it's sparring or whatever we're doing. So she's at all my workouts. And I really feel like it gives her an edge in her career, too.
So she's been doing really good. You know, she's done a couple pay-per-views. And she's really starting to catch her stride and what her niche is in boxing. And that's, you know, the know-hows and knowing what to do and when to do it and, most importantly, why to do it. So you know, I'm excited to see her continue to grow in what she does. And you know, we've got a great thing going, so--
KEVIN IOLE: You're awesome. That's awesome. You know, she's doing a great job, so congrats to her. Congrats to you on January 30. You can see Caleb Plant. He will be fighting on Fox-- Caleb Truax. Don't miss that. That will be in Los Angeles. Caleb, once again, thanks so much. All the best to you, my friend.
CALEB PLANT: Yes, sir. Thank you. Happy New Year.
KEVIN IOLE: Happy New Year to you.